“Taking out the old bridge will allow us to start construction on the new transitway bridge over Pembina, and also to come back in next summer and finish our roadwork along Pembina through the underpass.

“We’re closing it for safety and for efficiency. We have back-to-back closures coming just because of how complicated it is.”

Crowder said the larger-scale project – getting the 8 km rapid transit corridor complete – is currently on time and on-budget, with about 75 per cent of the construction finished to date.

“After the second weekend closure, we’re going to be opening up Pembina for the winter,” he said.

“After the project is done in about a year’s time, we’re going to be complete with our expansion of Pembina, so that’ll be three lanes each direction with active transportation pathways on each side.”

Round-the-clock construction will take place between 8 p.m. Friday and 4 a.m. Monday.

Pedestrian and cyclist access will be maintained by a shuttle service, with two pick-up and drop-off points: north of the underpass on the east side of Pembina Highway opposite Harrow Street, and south of the underpass on the east side at the Jubilee Avenue yield onto Pembina Highway.